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If you're not familiar with all the welding and cutting processes or basic terminology, the following information can make choosing a machine much easier. Follow the directions and you'll soon find the criteria that makes a Miller welder or plasma cutter just right for you.
1. Understanding Welding and Cutting Processes
| Welding Processes | Cutting Processes | |||||||
| Process | MIG | Flux Cored | Stick | TIG | Carbon Arc Cutting | Plasma Cutting | ||
| Type of metal it can weld | Steel, stainless, aluminum | Steel, stainless | Steel, stainless | All weldable metals | Steel | All electrically conductive metals | ||
| Metal thickness | 24 gauge (.025") and up | 1/8" and up | 1/8" and up | .010" and up | Unlimited | Up to 1-3/4 | ||
| Speed | Very fast | Very fast | Slow | Very slow | Fast | Very fast | ||
| Skill required | Low | Low | Moderate | High | Low | Low | ||
| Operating cost (time & materials) | Low | Low | High | High | Moderate | Low | ||
The most common welding processes are Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW or Stick electrode),
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW or MIG, a wire welding process), Flux Cored Arc Welding
(FCAW, also a wire welding process) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW or TIG). The two most common cutting and gouging
processes are Air Carbon Arc Gouging (CAC) and Air Plasma Arc Cutting (plasma).
Note that:
- MIG and flux cored welding usually can be performed by the same machine (and sometimes pulsed MIG)
- TIG machines can usually Stick weld (and vice versa)
- Higher output Stick machines can also air carbon arc cut and gouge
- A multiprocess welding machine might be able to perform all of these processes!
